An Introduction to Entrepreneurship

and Ideas Generation

Wednesday, 10 October 2012
Clare Griffiths

Agenda

Introduction and agenda

Intended learning outcomes
Speed networking
An overview of beepurple
Entrepreneurship and enterprise skills
Generating ideas for new businesses
Innovation in business
Next steps
Useful links

Intended Learning Outcomes

Knowledge
An understanding of the concepts of creativity,
innovation and entrepreneurship
An understanding of how to generate ideas

Skills
Think creatively
Generate ideas (for new products, services and projects)
Work in groups
Communicate with team members
Work under pressure, and to tight deadlines

Speed Networking

Review of the First Workshop

What do beepurple do?

Enterprise skills development workshops

Entrepreneurship master classes
One-to-one business support sessions
5-day business start-up summer school, UltraViolet
Annual ideas competition
Innovation and charity challenges
Open mic nights
Networking sessions with local SMEs

Whats in it for you?

You can enhance your employability;

You can start to build and develop your professional
network;
You gain the necessary support (from the enterprise
team and other beepurple members) to develop your
entrepreneurial ideas;
You create your own employment!

Some of our student and graduate ventures

Entrepreneurship and
Enterprise Skills

Entrepreneurship
What do you mean by that?
Making
positive
changes?

Setting up a
business?

Taking
calculated
risks?

Doing things
differently?
Making
money?

Entrepreneurship
What do you mean by that?

Having
an idea
(Creativity)

Entrepreneurship

Turning it into
reality
(Innovation)

Enterprise skills What are they?

Why are they important?

Generating Ideas

Sources for generating ideas for

new ventures!

Research has shown that there are four main sources

for generating business ideas:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Invent something new

Copy someone elses idea and improve it
Spot a gap in the market/Answer an unmet need
Use your own skills and interests

How do I come up with ideas for

new ventures?

Use the needs, market, skills, and passion matrix;

Look at other peoples businesses, and improve them;
Reflect on your own experiences as a consumer;
Read through newspapers, magazines, and online
directories for inspiration;
Look at a product or service, and apply it to a different
industry or setting;
Use the gap analysis technique;
Use word association/random words stimulus.

The Needs, Market, Skills, Passion

Matrix
Needs

Market

Skills and Capacity

Passion

The Gap Analysis Technique

How can you get from A to B,

doing something which roughly falls between
walking and riding a bike?

All you need is an idea...

a good one!

Generating Ideas for New Products,

Services, or Community Projects
Group Exercise
1.

Split into groups.

2.

You have 10 minutes to develop an idea which uses some of

the skills, interests, and hobbies of your group members.

3.

Find out what the skills, interests and hobbies are of each
group member, and then brainstorm with your group, to come
up with an idea for a new product, service or community
project.

4.

When prompted, tell the other students about your groups

idea.

Generating Ideas for New Products,

Services, or Community Projects
Group Exercise
1.

Split into groups.

2.

You have 10 minutes to develop an idea using the random

words as a prompt.

3.

Once you have read the words, brainstorm with your group, to
come up with an idea for a new product, service or community
project.

4.

When prompted, tell the other students about your groups

idea.

Communities

Tables
Table cloth

Imagination

Celebrities

Drinks

Poverty

Redundancy

Books

Snacks

Blogs

Pets

Blue

Environment
Black hole

Websites

Sofa

Paper
Sports

Technology

Children
Magazines

Yellow

Obesity
Feet
Jam jars

Walking
Cardboard Boxes
Evacuation

Innovation in Business

What is innovation?
A process:
The management of ideas
and change

1.
Generating
ideas

5.

2.
Selecting
Ideas

Creating
value

TURNING IDEAS
INTO REALITY

4.
Testing
ideas

HAVING IDEAS
3.
Analysing
ideas

Products
and Services

Communication

Processes

Where can a business

innovate?
Partnership
Work

People

Business
Model

Use of
Technology

Products and Services

Products and Services

Processes

People

Use of Technology

Use of Technology

Business Model

Business Model

Partnership Work

Communication

Products
and Services

Communication

Processes

Where can a business

innovate?
Partnership
Work

People

Business
Model

Use of
Technology

Next Steps

Vision

Products and Services

Benefits and Impact

What are you selling?

Whats in it for your

customers?

Customers and
Competitors

Marketing Activities

External Environment

Who are you selling to?

How are you going to tell

people about what you
do/sell?

Whats happening in the

world that could affect
your business?

Me and My Team

Costs and Income

Whats in it for you?

Who is already doing it?

Operations and Risks

Where and how are you
going to do this?
What could go wrong?

Whos going to help you

with this?

What money is going to be

coming in and out of your
business?

Start-Up Check List

There are lots of things you will need to do, before

you start your own business. These are the key areas of
work you need to carry out and/or consider, before you
start up.
Write some form of a business plan
Carry out some market research
Address all the legalities (e.g. Register with HMRC and
with Companies House, if necessary)
Calculate how much funding you need
Plan your marketing carefully
Protect your intellectual property

Useful Links

Business Support Organisations

Beepurple University of Brightons Entrepreneurship Network
http://www.brighton.ac.uk/careers/enterprise/
Shell LiveWIRE Supporting young entrepreneurs/business start-ups
http://www.shell-livewire.org/
Revenue and Customs
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/
Business Link Online support for business of all sizes
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk
Intellectual Property Office Official body for protecting IP
http://www.ipo.gov.uk/
Springwise.Com An Inspiring Database of Innovative Products/Services
http://www.springwise.com/
Unltd Supporting Social Entrepreneurs To Turn Their Ideas Into Reality
http://www.unltd.org.uk/

Keep in contact!

Clare Griffiths
Business Development Manager
(Entrepreneurship)
E-mail: c.griffiths@brighton.ac.uk
Phone: 01273 644727
Mobile: 07944 052799
Website: www.beepurple.co.uk
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